1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a freeze protection system and, more specifically, to an anti-freeze system for use in recreational vehicle water systems.
2. Descripton of the Prior Art
At present, recreational vehicle owners have the choice of either storing their recreational vehicles for the entire winter season or paying a fee to a service center for winterizing their water system after each winter use. Thus, the recreational vehicle owner has only the choice of the inconvenience of being without the recreational vehicle throughout the winter months or using the recreational vehicle and subjecting themselves to the considerable expense of having the water system professionally winterized after each winter use.
More specifically, present recreational vehicle water systems do not lend to winterization by the individual owners or users. For example, one commonly used winterization procedure calls for draining the water tank and water heater, disconnecting the hot and cold water lines from the water heater, connecting the hot and cold water lines with a bypass coupling, disconnecting the water line from the water tank that goes to the water pump, placing the water line in an anti-freeze container, opening all of the water lines, running the water pump, reconnecting the water line to the water tank, removing the bypass coupling from the water lines and reconnecting the water lines to the water heater, cleaning up all spillage and checking for leaks resulting from the removal and reconnection of the various water lines. This procedure uses approximately one gallon of anti-freeze and requires about one hour of skilled labor.
Another known procedure consists of draining the water tank and water heater, disconnecting the hot and cold water lines from the water heater, connecting the hot and cold water lines with a bypass coupling, connecting an anti-freeze pump to the city water supply, opening all of the water lines, running the anti-freeze pump, removing the bypass coupling from the water lines and reconnecting the water lines to the water heater, cleaning up all spillage and checking for leaks resulting from the removal and reconnection of the various water lines. This procedure uses approximately one gallon of anti-freeze and requires approximately one hour of skilled labor.
Still another known procedure consists of draining the water tanks and water heater, disconnecting the hot and cold water lines from the water heater, connecting the hot and cold water lines with a bypass coupling, pouring from two to five gallons of anti-freeze into the water tank, opening all of the water lines, running the water pump, removing the bypass coupling from the hot and cold water lines and reconnecting the water lines to the water heater, cleaning up spillage and checking for leaks resulting from the removal and reconnection of the various water lines. This procedure uses from two to five gallons of anti-freeze and requires approximately one hour of skilled labor.
A still further known procedure consists of continuously electrically heating the water lines. This procedure is not only energy wasteful and expensive, but further, there is a risk of broken water lines in the event of a power failure.
Goodwin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,154 discloses a freeze protection apparatus and method for winterizing recreational vehicles. The apparatus comprises an anti-freeze storage tank and a series of five individual two-way valves interconnecting the water heater inlet and outlet, water storage tank outlet, anti-freeze storage tank outlet, and hot and cold water lines, each of which must be actuated in a complex sequence to effect freeze protection of the recreational vehicle plumbing system.
Saddison, U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,123 discloses a freeze protection system for self-service car wash units, which system prevents water from becoming frozen in conduits which are exposed to below-freezing temperature conditions. The system includes a source of anti-freeze, a compressed gas source and suitable control means for alternately supplying water to the conduit or connecting the anti-freeze and compressed gas sources to the conduit. Several modified forms of the invention are disclosed. In one form, a system includes a water supply conduit connected through a pump to a nozzle outlet used for washing cars, which nozzle is exposed to freezing air temperatures. An additional conduit is connected to the freeze-preventing apparatus at one end and to the nozzle outlet at its other end. Check valves are provided in the conduit for preventing the flow of fluid in a reverse direction. A solenoid valve is positioned in the conduit for preventing the flow of fluid in a reverse direction. A solenoid valve is positioned in the conduit for preventing the flow of anti-freeze and compressed air, except when required. A tank is provided containing compressed air and an anti-freeze solution, the tank being connected to the conduit through the solenoid valve. When a car is being washed, the pump is operating, thereby supplying water to the nozzle outlet. During this operation, the solenoid valve is closed and anti-freeze flows from the tank through a conduit to an orifice, then to a branch conduit where the anti-freeze rises to a predetermined level. A selected time after the washing cycle has ended, the solenoid valve is opened. The anti-freeze in the branch conduit under pressure of the compressed gas in the tank is forced through the solenoid valve and the conduit into the nozzle outlet. The anti-freeze liquid is immediately followed by compressed air from the tank which removes substantially all of the liquid in the conduit and the nozzle outlet.
Dunn et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,082 discloses a device for preventing the icing of filters employed in the fuel line of an aircraft fuel system. The fuel system includes a boost pump for supplying fuel from a fuel tank through a discharge pipe to the inlet side of a fuel filter. An anti-freeze pump is provided for supplying anti-freeze from a storage tank through tubing into the inlet side of the fuel filter, where the anti-freeze mixes with the fuel to prevent freezing of the fuel.
Lamar, U.S. Pat. No. 1,408,740; Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,095,875; and Hollar, U.S. Pat. No. 1,238,073 each disclose systems for alternatively supplying fuel from one of two fuel tanks to an internal combustion engine. Further, each of these patents discloses a three-way valve for selectively supplying the fuel from either of the two tanks to the engine.
Bucko, Sr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,579 discloses a three-way electrically operated valve.
As opposed to the cumbersome prior art methods and apparatus, the winterization procedure using the apparatus of the present invention requires merely the draining of the water tank and water heater, actuating, either electrically or manually, a pair of three-way valves to an anti-freeze position for automatically by-passing the water tank and water heater and supplying stored anti-freeze to the water lines, opening the lines and running the water pump. There is no spillage and there can be no leakage because none of the water lines were removed. This procedure uses approximately 15 minutes of unskilled labor which can be easily performed by the owner or user of the recreational vehicle.